According to the Electronic Authentication System’s website (ekds.org), the biometric cards will be able to hold up to 1 GB of information, including the user’s finger and palm prints.

The new cards will be valid for 10 years.

The move comes as Turkey is working to fulfill EU requirements toward lifting the visa regime with the Schengen zone countries. Turkey must fulfill 72 requirements in the visa roadmap, including issues such as migration management, public order, and security and issuing biometric identification documents -- passports and IDs -- containing fingerprints.

So far, 37 requirements have been completed and 35 still remain.

The visa-free travel is part of a broad agreement between Turkey and EU on refugee crisis signed last week in Brussels.